


(Un)Intentionally Naked

by WardenRoot



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: 5+1, F/F, Pre-Relationship, Various Legends Appear, canon divergent after about mid season 3, rating is for nakedness but nothing smutty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-28
Updated: 2019-08-28
Packaged: 2020-09-28 11:11:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20425013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WardenRoot/pseuds/WardenRoot
Summary: Ava keeps finding herself in situations near a certain Legend with little to no clothesor five times Ava is unintentionally naked around Sara and one time it's intentional





	(Un)Intentionally Naked

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SuperStitious18](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuperStitious18/gifts).

> Dedicated to @Superstitious18 for being the reason I ended up writing this and helping me plan it out <3
> 
> Thank you so much to @Starling83 for being my beta and making this work the best it could be!
> 
> I've never done a 5+1 fic before so hopefully this turned out well

1.

The first time it happens, Ava is completely and utterly mortified. 

She has just gotten out of the shower when the sound of her intruder alarm alerts her of someone breaking into her apartment. But not the usual alarm meant to alert her of fully human and  _ normal _ intruders. No, the alarm Rip had a team install the moment she became a part of the Time Bureau, the one that alerts her of intruders breaking in with everything  _ but _ normal means.

Ava does not bother wasting time putting on something to make herself decent when there’s a god-knows-what in her apartment, only spares enough time to grab the gun she keeps in the cabinet above the sink before silently making her way out of the bathroom.

She methodically goes through her apartment to check for the intruder, but it’s not until she reaches the living room that she spots  _ her _ .

“Oh you have got to be—” Ava starts, throwing her head back as she lowers her gun.

“Hey,” Sara says, drawing out the ‘e’ as she turns to fully look at her.

“—kidding me,” Ava finishes, forgetting her current state for a moment as all she feels is familiar frustration. Of course, Sara is quick to remind her.

“Sooo,” Sara starts, making Ava look at her again. “Couldn’t help but notice you’re kinda naked. Is that intentional, or...?”

Dread runs through Ava as she looks down at herself, remembering that she is, in fact, still very naked. She is quick to put her gun on the nearest flat surface so she can use her arms to at least slightly cover herself up. “Why would I  _ ever _ intentionally be naked around you?” Ava scoffs as she motions for Sara to turn around, giving her a  _ look _ when she takes a second too long to do as she is told.

“I’ll have you know  _ many  _ people have been intentionally naked around me.” The smirk evident in Sara’s tone makes Ava roll her eyes.

“Yeah, well, I can promise I will  _ never _ be one of them.” Hell will have to freeze over before Ava even considers that possibility.

“Suit yourself,” Sara shrugs, sounding much too self-satisfied.

“Why are you even here?” Ava sighs, looking around for something, anything, to cover herself up with.

Sara turns her head, looking at Ava with an adorable frown. “You invited me over to take a look at those case files, remember?”

“Shit, was that today?” Ava asks, grabbing a folded tablecloth from the counter to wrap around herself, feeling self-conscious with Sara’s eyes on her. To Sara’s credit, though, she has kept her eyes glued on Ava’s face.

“Yep,” Sara says, popping the ‘p’. She turns herself fully to face Ava again, apparently thinking the tablecloth has properly covered Ava up.

Ava groans. How is she supposed to keep a straight face throughout the evening?

***

The second time it happens, Ava pretty much swears off beaches.

She shifts uncomfortably as she drops her bag down on the soft sand. The sun leaves a burning warmth on her body and Ava is grateful Gideon had fabricated her a pair of sunglasses along with the rest of her ridiculous outfit. She had arrived right before Sara was set to leave so she hadn’t gotten a lot of time to pick out her outfit, leaving her with a bikini top she is slightly scared won’t be able to contain her breasts for long, a pair of shorts, and a see-through shirt.

Sara, in comparison, looks much more comfortable. Her outfit is virtually the same as Ava’s, the colors and patterns are a little different and Sara’s shirt has very much been open for their entire walk along the beach trying to find somewhat of a quiet corner, but the pieces are still very alike. Yet there is an easy smile on Sara’s lips and a confident sway to the way she moves.

“This looks like a good spot,” Sara says and reaches for her towel so she can lay it out on the sand. Ava follows her lead, making sure to keep a bit of space between their two towels. 

When she’s done, she looks back up at Sara, only to look quickly away again. “What are you doing?” she asks, chancing a careful glance in Sara’s direction just as Sara’s shorts hit the sand.

Sara looks at her dumbly, her head tilted slightly. “We’re supposed to be enjoying ourselves on the beach,  _ Aves _ . I’m gonna sunbathe.” When Ava only stares at her — half because it doesn’t make sense to her bureau-trained mind and half because Sara is standing in front of her in nothing but a bikini too skimpy to ever be considered professional — Sara continues with, “You should too. We’re supposed to be undercover.”

Ava looks down at herself, shuddering at the thought of only wearing the bikini. She settles for taking off the shirt, reasoning that it is so see-through she might as well not be wearing it anyway. “Why am I here again?” she mutters as she does so.

“Because every other Legend is busy with their own missions and  _ someone _ didn’t want me to go alone,” Sara says, giving Ava a pointed stare.

Okay, so maybe this is her own fault, but can she really be blamed for not wanting Sara to go alone on a mission with a dangerous anachronism? She knows Sara can handle herself, but the first thing the Bureau teaches them is to never go on a mission alone. It is simply too risky.

Still, Ava could go for a mission somewhere she feels a bit less naked.

When they lie down on the towels and the burning heat from the sun hits Ava’s body full force, she is grateful they had dealt with the sunscreen back at the ship. She does not allow herself to even think about what might happen if Sara had asked for her help with it in  _ that _ outfit.

Ava tries to relax at least a little while they wait for something to happen. It is what people do on beaches, or at least what she thinks they do. She does not have much experience with it herself, the beach is much too crowded for her tastes, but as she glances over at Sara, who looks completely at home, it is not difficult to imagine another life where Sara is just another person enjoying a sunny day by the sea.

Ava closes her eyes and takes a breath filled with the salty ocean breeze. Sara is not just some normal person and Ava cannot just leave and run back to the safety of her home — they have a job to do. A job that she failed to notice, judging by the sudden movement at her side. Ava opens her eyes and sits up to see Sara jumping to her feet and turning around, obviously looking at someone. Only, she stops in her tracks when she fully faces Ava.

Ava frowns, turning her head to try and see what Sara had seen over her shoulder. It is only then that she feels thin fabric tickle her stomach. For a second she is confused, before her entire body is filled with dread. She slowly looks down her torso and finds her bikini hanging the  _ wrong _ way, the strap somehow having ended up with a clean cut.

“The anachronism!” she blurts out, more in an effort to draw attention away from herself than to actually complete the mission. She hears Sara let out a “Shit!” as she reaches for the towel Sara had vacated to cover up her body. Before Ava can suggest anything else, Sara takes off running, leaving Ava to deal with her current situation by herself. Oh, how she wishes Gideon’s fabricator was portable.

***

The third time it happens, it is Ava’s own damn fault for asking the Legends for help on her mission. 

_ Ava _ is chasing a bank robber from 2018 in 1997. Meanwhile _ , the Legends _ are in the process of putting some engineer’s gun back in the future where it belongs, but instead decide to bring it when Ava asks for back-up.  _ Because of course that is a thing they would do. _

And of course they would lose said gun to Ava’s bank robber, who  _ of course _ presses every button on the futuristic gun he can find.

Mick, who had perked up at the mention of a bank robber (which Sara had assured her should not be a worry,) is the first victim of the gun’s many settings. Or rather, his signature weapon is, as he is quick to point it in the direction of the robber. A blue beam hits the heat gun and what it leaves behind makes Ava stop in her tracks.

“My gun!” Mick exclaims, digging his fingers into the object in his hand. “He turned my  _ gun _ into a  _ sandwich _ .” With all the fire in his voice, Ava is surprised not to see smoke coming out of him.

“We’ll make you a new one!” Ray pipes up, only to quickly recoil when all he gets is a growl and glare in return.

“That’s a great idea!” Sara says, her eyes wide as she looks at the sandwich still in Mick’s hand. “Ray, take Mick back to the ship and build a new gun. He’ll feel better once he’s burned something.”

Mick perks up at Sara’s words, but he is still reluctant as Ray leads him back to the ship. Before they are out of her view, Ava is horrified to see Mick take a bite out of his gun-turned-sandwich.

“Come on,” Sara says and lightly touches Ava’s arm, nodding in the direction of the building their robber just entered, followed by Amaya and Zari. They both take off in a run, catching up as best they can.

Oh, how Ava wishes they hadn’t. If only they had taken just a minute longer, just long enough for the robber to point the gun at one of the people closest to him instead of the people who just entered the desolate old coat store. But, of course, as the gun is turned to a new unknown setting, it is pointed straight at Ava.

She closes her eyes as the blue of the beam comes closer and braces herself for whatever effect it will have on her. For a moment, she thinks nothing happened. Until she hears a gasp from her side and feels cool air touch her skin. Her very naked skin.

Ava slowly opens one of her eyes and takes a wary look down at herself, finding that the gun had indeed somehow made all her clothes disappear. In that moment, Ava wishes, just for a split second, that the future crumbles and the gun is never created. 

She hears a growl as Amaya summons the ashe of a cheetah and Zari summons her wind to chase after the still running anachronism, leaving Sara and Ava alone. Part of Ava wishes Sara left with the others so she could deal with this herself, but another part is happy Sara did not leave her behind.

Of course, right as Ava thinks the thought, Sara leaves her alone at the entrance of the store, disappearing behind the shelves. She reappears a moment later with her head held high, holding a trenchcoat out in Ava’s direction. Ava gratefully accepts it, a warm, unnamed feeling spreading through her at the action.

“Let’s go back to the ship and have Gideon make you some proper clothes. Amaya and Zari can handle the anachronism.” Sara furrows her brow in thoughts and adds an ‘s’ to the back of her sentence, making Ava’s lips pull up in a smile. She ignores the logical part of her telling her it would make more sense for her to just courier home and fetch a change of clothes there instead.

***

The fourth time it happens, Ava is certain the universe is playing a joke on her. 

They are chasing a displaced scientist in 2239. Somehow, the chase ends in a small building with ‘Hell’ spelled on the wall. It quickly becomes apparent that the building is being used as a makeshift lab for the scientist. All kinds of vials and canisters line the walls and Ava wonders how long this anachronism has gone unnoticed right under their noses.

The scientist startles when Sara and Ava find him, making him spill whatever he is working on into a container by his feet. The temperature is quick to drop at whatever chemical reaction takes place and all along the walls glass canisters freeze and crack. It continues all the way to where Sara and Ava are standing, cracking the glass of a vial containing some white powder that falls down on them like snow.

“Fuck, this could be contaminated, we need to get out of here!” Ava says, already opening a portal with her courier. 

“Get us back to Gideon, she can analyze whatever this is.” Ava does not answer Sara’s request and therefore, technically, she is not lying. She even punches the right buttons to take them to the Waverider, even though she knows that is not where they will end up.

The moment the portal opens up to the familiar scenery of the Waverider bridge, Sara grabs onto her wrist and pulls her through. Ava feels only a little guilty — it is too risky to bring this back onto the Waverider but she knows Sara would disagree if Ava told her the truth.

“Where the hell are we?” Sara exclaims when they step out into a sterile room filled only with three shower stalls, a small metal bench, and a closet Ava knows is filled with sterile suits.

“The Time Bureau quarantine wing,” Ava says sheepishly, already singling out her shower.

“The what?!” Sara asks, turning to look at Ava with accusation in her eyes.

“All couriers come installed with the setting that should any possibly contaminated substance be detected, they will portal here instead of their intended destination. In this line of work where one can come into contact with any number of substances from both past and future, it is imperative that we do not let it out into the population. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but bringing this onto the Waverider was just too great a risk.” Ava recites the first part perfectly as her trainers had done when she was just a recruit, but her voice turns apologetic towards the end and she hopes that Sara can see her words bear truth.

“Please locate your nearest shower,” an automated voice sounds from somewhere in the ceiling.

“Fine,” Sara sighs while rolling her eyes. “I could do with a shower anyway.”

Ava lets out a breath of relief at Sara’s actions. What gives her pause, however, is that Sara enters the middle shower, which shares one wall with each of the other two. Not even knowing why she is surprised, Ava enters the shower to the left of it.

She makes quick work of undressing and putting her clothes in a plastic bag, carefully sealing it before placing it outside the stall, then properly closing the shower curtain. By the sound of things, Sara does the same in the stall next to her.

The sound of the water is the only noise in the room for a merciful few minutes. Then, Sara decides to open her mouth. “You know, if you need any help in there, I’m just a stall away,” she says and Ava does not have to try hard to imagine the smirk playing at her lips.

Ava’s response, “I’m good, thanks,” comes slower than she would have liked with Sara’s words bringing attention to the fact that Sara is  _ naked _ with only a thin wall separating them. However, she swallows the flare of lust and curiosity the image summons and forces the words out. Out of everywhere she can think of, quarantine has to be the worst place to do  _ that _ .

It’s back to silence after that and, despite the reason for her impromptu shower, Ava allows herself to enjoy the feel of water against her skin. She realizes it’s a mistake when Sara’s shower turns off and her wet steps sound across the floor. It is only then that Ava fully understands what it means that the closet containing the towels and jumpsuits are at the other end of the room. She has to be the biggest idiot in all of existence not to have thought of fetching one of each  _ before _ entering the shower.

“Are you coming out soon?” Sara calls when Ava decides to stay in the shower for as long as possible.

“I already did that when I started high school,” is Ava’s reply. She only says it to stall for more time, but the laugh she gets in response is better than she could have imagined. Truly, that laugh has to be the embodiment of what heaven sounds like. (She will discover much later that any sound she can pull out of Sara is much better than the sounds any heaven could ever produce.)

Ava reaches for the nozzle with a sigh, reluctantly turning it to cut off the water. Her movements are hesitant as she reaches for the shower curtain, but once she curls her fingers around it, they turn determined. Ava is tired of being in these kinds of situations and, at this point, it’s not like Sara hasn’t seen everything before. And so, she pulls the curtain back and, where once she would have been quick to cover herself with her arms, lets her hands hang at her sides as she walks towards Sara — who is, of course, already dressed. Her wet golden hair is sticking to the Time Bureau-blue jumpsuit and how Sara can make even that look stunning is beyond Ava.

Sara looks curiously at Ava but Ava simply meets her gaze. She is done with trying to cover up when the universe is obviously so determined to have her be anything but.

She spots the exact moment when Sara’s curiosity gets the better of her and her eyes flit down, only to go back to Ava’s eyes a second later, as if she expects Ava to tell her no or do anything but continue her walk towards the towel and jumpsuit that Sara has laid out for her. If Sara  _ wants _ to look at her — something Ava cannot really find it in herself to believe — and the universe is so determined to make it happen, who is she to stop it?

Sara’s eyes slowly travel down her body and something darkens in the midst of all the blue. Ava has to hold back a shudder at the way those eyes inspect every visible inch of her. Part of her wonders if it’s a mistake, letting Sara see her like this. Another part wonders why Sara even wants to — she said it herself the first time this happened; many people have been naked around her, so why would Ava catch her interest?

Despite the look in Sara’s gaze, it is that self-conscious side of Ava that wins out, the part of her that is certain this is a mistake, and when she gets to where Sara is standing, she hurriedly pulls on her jumpsuit without even bothering with the towel.

“Are you okay, Ms. Lance?” she asks Sara pointedly when she straightens out and finds Sara’s eyes still fixed on her.

“Yep, I’m great,” Sara says, finally tearing her eyes away and trying to look normal.

Ava turns away, not wanting to even begin addressing the heat pooling low in her stomach, and sits down on the one bench provided in the room.

“You know, looks like we’re gonna be here a while. There  _ are _ more fun things we could do to pass the time,” Sara suggests and Ava cannot tell if it is meant as a joke or an offer — maybe both.

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we’re in quarantine after getting god knows what on us,” Ava says, arching an eyebrow as she chances a glance at her.

“Yeah,” Sara says, the ‘and?’ going unspoken. Ava does not validate it with an answer, mostly because she thinks she doesn’t deserve one and partly because Ava cannot be certain of what it would be.

Sara pouts and sits down next to Ava when her words go unanswered. “What do  _ you _ want to do then?”

***

The fifth time it happens, Ava is just about ready to throw in the towel and swear off clothes for good.

She has just finished helping on a Legends mission and is currently standing by the center console on the bridge talking to Sara. She should have left twenty minutes ago to go write up her report and go back to her  _ actual _ job, but still has not been able to tear herself away from that brilliant smile.

“Do you want to stay for dinner?” It takes a moment for Ava to process Sara’s words and fully realize they are directed at her. Sara repeats the question when Ava does not answer, but this time there is a hint of worry to her voice.

Ava cannot stay for dinner. She has a job she is rather fond of and does not want to lose for spending too much time with the Legends. Out of all the reasons to get fired, that has to be on the bottom of her list. As much as they have grown on her, they still have quite the reputation at the Bureau.

So, obviously, Ava’s answer will be no. “I’d love to.”  _ Wait, that’s not no. In fact, that is the opposite of no. _

“Great!” Sara says and flashes Ava a grin. Maybe Ava does have time for dinner, she hasn’t had her lunch today and she  _ did  _ have permission to help the Legends…

“Lead the way,” Ava says as she gestures with her arm and offers Sara a smile.

They have just arrived outside the galley when it happens. They can hear muffled voices through the metal walls and when the door opens, they are greeted by Ray and Nate. Ray and Nate who do not see them because all their attention is on the weirdly colored vial in Ray’s hand.

Ava and Sara are still a couple of feet away from the door and stay put to allow the two to pass through.

“And since I was out of acid, I had to get Gideon to make me some more,” Ray explains to Nate at the same moment as his foot catches on the threshold. Time seems to pass in slow motion after that. Ray’s eyes widen in a way that would have been comical if not for the current situation. Nate tries to reach for the vial just as Sara tries to pull Ava away but it is already too late.

The moment the first drop of acid hits her suit, time suddenly moves at double speed. Sara sends a death glare to Nate and Ray which makes Nate pull Ray with him in the opposite direction, but Ava only vaguely notices it happening. Her mind is too busy thinking about getting her clothes  _ off _ before the acid burns through them and then her skin.

She shrugs her blazer off as Sara reaches for her shirt and tears the buttons open. Ava feels mournful as the buttons fly everywhere, despite the acid already having ruined her suit anyway.

When Ava works on getting her shirt down her arms, Sara reaches for her pants. The action almost makes her freeze but the imminent burning of her skin keeps her moving, despite the feel of Sara unbuttoning said pants doing all kinds of things to her. Sara guides the pants down a couple of inches before they fall of their own accord and Sara lightly touches the bare skin of Ava’s hip.

Ava draws in a sharp breath at the action, her skin burning but not from the acid.

“Are you okay?” Sara asks as she looks up at Ava’s face with worry in her eyes.

“I think so,” Ava breathes out, making a face as she catches sight of her singed shirt. She looks down her torso to make sure her bra hasn’t gotten anything on it and Sara does the same, still with that hint of worry. It looks fine to Ava but of course it is hard to focus on anything with Sara’s hand still burning her, now pressing even firmer against her skin.

“Good,” Sara says, her voice gliding from worry to distraction. When Ava looks at her again, puzzled by her voice, she finds her eyes glued to her chest. The knowledge makes Ava painfully aware of how quickly she’s breathing and the resulting quickness with which her chest rises and lowers.

Ava clears her throat and Sara’s eyes flit back up to Ava’s. Sara opens her mouth but no words come out as they continue to stare at each other. Ava swallows and she sees Sara’s eyes move to her throat and then her mouth.

More than anything else, she  _ feels  _ Sara leaning closer. Feels the heat seeping off her body onto Ava’s bare skin, feels the air she’s breathing get heavier as Sara’s breath joins her own, and feels her heart beat impossibly faster with every inch of space Sara covers.

Ava closes her eyes but, of course, that is a mistake. Because the moment she does, a very apologetic voice sounds from the end of the hallway.

“I’m so,  _ so _ sorry for tripping and spilling acid, I swear it was an accident and I will—” Ray’s apology stops short when he presumably registers the scene in front of him. Sara and Ava had jumped apart the moment he let his presence be known, but that does not change the fact that Ava is only in her underwear right outside the galley.

When Ava looks at him, Ray has his hands up to cover his eyes. “I’m really sorry, please tell me if there’s  _ anything _ I can do to help,” he says, trying to look in their direction without actually looking.

“Just go secure whatever is left of your acid, Ava and I will fix this,” Sara sighs, sending Ray an annoyed look that does not show in her voice and therefore goes unnoticed by him.

“I’m really sorry,” Ray repeats before turning and walking away. He crashes into the wall a couple of times due to still covering his eyes despite no longer facing them.

“Let’s go get you some new clothes before dinner,” Sara says while making sure to keep a number of feet between them. Ava immediately misses the warmth of her body now that no one else is there.

“What, you don’t think this makes for a good outfit?” she asks, looking down at herself as if she isn’t mostly naked.

“If you  _ want _ to go dressed like that, I’m not gonna say anything,” Sara says, eyes briefly flitting down before she forces her eyes back on Ava’s face again. “The boys, however, might. Poor Ray won’t even be able to see his food. Or use any form of utensils.”

“Fair point,” Ava giggles, starting on the familiar path towards the clothing fabrication room. “You know, the fact that your crew has acid made from the same machine that gives you food has to be a health and safety violation.”

“It’s fine,” Sara assures her, leaving Ava unconvinced.

***

+1. 

The first time it happens intentionally is one of the best days of Ava’s life.

Sara has her pushed up against her apartment wall the moment they get through the door after their first date. Not that Ava is complaining, as hungry lips search out her own and eager hands pull at her jacket.

It is not hard to find out exactly what Sara wants when Ava’s tie joins her jacket on the floor and Sara’s mouth finds her throat as her fingers work on unbuttoning Ava’s shirt. Ava welcomes it all and even helps when Sara pulls her shirt down her arms, eager to learn what Sara will do next. What she doesn’t see coming, however, is for Sara’s parted lips to pull back from her throat. Or those same lips pulling up in a smirk as Sara looks at Ava’s face.

“What?” Ava asks, pulling her arms closer around Sara in an effort to make her go to back to what she was doing.

“Nothing,” Sara says but that familiar smirk is still plastered on her lips. “It’s just that, I seem to remember someone, in this very apartment, saying she would  _ never _ intentionally be naked around me.” As she speaks, Sara’s hand slides across Ava’s bare skin to her back, popping open her bra at the end of her sentence. The look she sends Ava dares her to challenge it.

Ava groans, looking over Sara’s shoulder to the living room, remembering how the whole chain of events that dominated her life the past few weeks started. “You know,” she says, looking back at Sara, knowing the moment she sees those mischievous eyes her next words could never be true, “I could just put my shirt back on and have a quiet evening in instead.”

“Hey, no,” Sara says, a light giggle in her voice, and puts her hands on Ava’s hips, pushing her against the wall. She leans up on her toes and whispers against Ava’s mouth, “I want to see you naked again.”

Ava shakes her head as her hands come up to cup Sara’s cheeks so she can pull her close enough to kiss. “I think it’s about time that  _ I _ see  _ you _ naked, Ms. Lance,” she says, arching a perfect eyebrow at Sara.

“Aw, you should’ve said something, I would have taken my clothes off a  _ lot _ sooner,” Sara says, taking a step back. In one fluid motion she shrugs her jacket to the floor then reaches behind herself to unzip her dress, letting it pool at her feet. 

Ava draws an involuntary breath at the sight of Sara standing in front of her in nothing but her heels and panties. Part of her feels remorse over not being able to undress Sara herself, to discover every part about her in her own pace. The bigger part of her, however, is breathless over how perfect Sara is. She cannot decide if she wants to just stand there and admire her or pull her close and kiss her senseless.

Sara makes the decision for her when she takes a step closer and pulls Ava down for a kiss. Ava’s hands are on her immediately, exploring all the exposed skin she can reach as Sara drags her hands down Ava’s front so she can get to work on her pants. 

As Ava shows Sara to her bedroom she decides that if everything that happened is what culminated in this, she wouldn’t change a single part of it, clothes be damned.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on tumblr [@wardenroot](https://wardenroot.tumblr.com/)


End file.
